Enyimba FC of Aba, Abia state, has recorded its first game at home in four years. It was a great spectacle to watch the club’s supporters, in their thousands, dancing out of the stadium on Wednesday dreaming of another glorious year in African football.
The People’s Elephant, as the club is called, has not won any continental trophy since they took the prestigious CAF Champions League back to back in 2003 and 2004. The mid-week match was the last group game of the 2018 CAF Confederation Cup and Enyimba needed an outright victory to ensure passage to the quarterfinals.
Enyimba and its opponents, CARA Brazzaville, as well as Cote d’Ivoire’s Williamsville were tied on six points with only goals difference separating the trio. As it were, Cara was on top of the table, with Enyimba second, while Williamsville was on the third spot. Djoliba of Mali caused the biggest upset of the night when it held Williamsville to a goalless draw in Abidjan.
But the expectations in Aba almost turned to a nightmare as the winning goal refused to come even after 90 minutes. Thanks to Wasiu Alalade who shot in the saving grace four minutes after regulation time. The first half ended goalless.
Enyimba continued its dominance of the game in the second half, but the strikers failed to get the much sought after break-through until the 94th minute, when Alalade sent the fans singing with his golden strike. The victory took Enyimba to the top of Group C and passage to the quarterfinals, where they were joined by CARA Brazzaville, who qualified due to Williamsville’s goalless draw with Djoliba in Abidjan.
